Disciplining The Soul By Ibn al-Jawzi

Disciplining The Soul By Ibn al-Jawzi
The disposition of mankind holds both direct and indirect benefits. For example, the desire for food serves as sustenance, while the capability for anger prevents harm. However, when these natural tendencies are uncontrolled, they can lead to harm. Excessive food cravings result in gluttony, while uncontrolled anger leads to transgression. The ultimate goal is to attain balance of the soul, allowing believers to focus on approaching God. This text explores various spiritual ailments, such as envy, greed, lust, arrogance, gluttony, anger, stinginess, extravagance, vanity, and attachment to the material world. It also delves into the qualities that one must possess in order to seek God, such as love, self-discipline, humility, self-criticism, improvement of character, patience, and truthfulness. In a straightforward yet effective manner, the author guides readers on how to overcome their spiritual diseases and acquire the necessary virtues for their journey towards Allah. Divided into thirty chapters for
 

Dar As Sunnah Publications

• Ibn Al Jawzi

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DAR AS SUNNAH CLASSIC COLLECTION DISCIPLINING THE SOUL Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH)
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CHAPTER THREE The Difference Between the Perspective of Mind and the Perspective of Hawa...... CHAPTER FOUR Averting Passionate Love (Ishq)...... ...26 .28 CHAPTER FIVE Averting Gluttony (Sharah)... .31 Section One:Excessive Eating........... .32 Section Two: Excessive Sexual Appetite.. .32 Section Three: Hoarding Wealth....... .33 .34 Section Four: Extravagance..... CHAPTER SIX Refusing to take a Position of Authority in this World... CHAPTER SEVEN Averting Stinginess.......... CHAPTER EIGHT Prohibition on Squandering... CHAPTER NINE Elucidation on the Amount of Earnings and Expenditure.................................. CHAPTER TEN Dispraise of Lying... .35 .37 .40 .41 .42
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THE BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR al-Hafiz Abu'l-Faraj 'Abdu'l-Rahman ibn Jawzi His Name and Lineage He is Abu'l-Faraj Jamal al-Din 'Abdu'l-Rahman ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Ali Ibn 'Ubayd Allah Ibn al-Jawzi al-Qurashi al- Tamimi al-Bakri from the family of Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr al- Siddiq, al-Baghdadi al-Hanbali.1 His Birth and Upbringing He was born in 509 or 510 A.H. Upon reaching adolescence, his aunt took him to Ibn Naşir from whom he learned a great deal. He came to love preaching while barely having reached the age of puberty, and from then started to give sermons to the peo- ple. His father passed away when he was three years old so his aunt 1 Thail al-Raudatain, p.21, al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah, p. 13/26. 12
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DISCIPLINING THE SOUL Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH) Know that all the facets of mankind's disposition are for their benefit- either directly such as the desire for food, or indirectly by preventing harm, such as the capacity for anger. However, when these natural impulses are not moderated it culminates in harm. If the desire for food is excessive it leads to gluttony. Similarly when anger is uncontrolled it leads to transgression. The aim should be to achieve equilibrium of the soul, to allow the faithful to approach God without distraction. The author addresses many spiritual diseases - such as envy, greed, uncontrolled lust, sexual desire, arrogance, gluttony, anger, stinginess, extravagance, vanity and attachment to this world. He also discusses the qualities that the seeker of God must acquire such as love, self discipline, humility, self-criticism, improvement of character, patience and truthfulness. In a simple yet effective way he shows the wayfarers how to cure their spiritual diseases and acquire the necessary qualities for their journey to Allah. This masterpiece has been divided into thirty chapters to facilitate the reader's comprehension. Important points are highlighted using anecdotes from the early righteous predecessors. The author, Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH), was an learned scholar possessing extensive knowledge. While still young he became known as someone who was religious and given to learning. He would not waste his time in idle activities and would scrupulously avoid any food whose source was doubtful. He was a great preacher and his fame was widespread; many people repented and accepted Islam at his hands. He was also a prolific writer and authored over one thousand works encompassing a multitude of Islamic disciplines and sciences. لسنة Visit us www.darassunnah.com ISBN-13: 978-1-904336-34-1 ISBN-10: 1-904336-34-5 Day as-Sunnah Publishers P.O. Box 9818, Birmingham, B11 4WA, United Kingdom. E-mail: info@darassunnah.com www.darassunnah.com Copyright by Dar as-Sunnah Publishers 9781904 336341">